Third time’s the charm? ABC has officially picked up a Roseanne spinoff with the working title The Conners, the network announced on Thursday, June 21.
John Goodman (Dan), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Sara Gilbert (Darlene), Lecy Goranson (Becky) and Michael Fishman (D.J.) are set to return as their beloved characters. The series is expected to premiere this fall with 10 new episodes airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
ABC said in a press release that “a sudden turn of events” will force the Conner family “to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.”
“The Conners’ stories demonstrate that families can always find common ground through conversation, laughter and love. The spinoff will continue to portray contemporary issues that are as relevant today as they were 30 years ago,” the network said in a statement.
Goodman, 66, Metcalf, 63, Gilbert, 43, Goranson, 44, and Fishman, 36, also released a joint statement: “We have received a tremendous amount of support from fans of our show, and it’s clear that these characters not only have a place in our hearts, but in the hearts and homes of our audience. We all came back last season because we wanted to tell stories about the challenges facing a working-class family today. We are so happy to have the opportunity to return with the cast and crew to continue to share those stories through love and laughter.”
The news comes three weeks after the hugely successful reboot of Roseanne was canceled in the wake of star Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet about former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Barr, 65, later deleted her headline-making post, apologized and claimed she had been “ambien tweeting” at the time.
ABC confirmed on Thursday that Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the spinoff.
Additional cast members and a premiere date for The Conners will be announced at a later date.
